Greater Spirit Patron
This idea was originally worked on by u/Falafeler and u/newguymatt before being picked up here for play-testing. What you see below may be different from their original versions (probably not too different) but are subject to change as said testing occurs. Warlock Patron – Greater Spirit – Your patron is an extremely powerful ghost who has wandered the world for hundreds if not thousands of years. A pact with such a being is a haunting of sorts, where the patron experiences the living world through your actions, and you come to draw on its considerable abilities. A ghost might choose such a pairing for various reasons including unfinished business, escape, boredom, or loneliness. Expanded Spell List The Greater Spirit lets you choose from an expanded spell list of spells when you learn a warlock spell. The following spells are added to warlock spell list for you. One of the spells, Poltergeist is unique to this patron, see link. This class also has access to the Bonerattle cantrip. 1st - Inflict Wounds, Catapult 2nd - Blur, Phantasmal Force 3rd - Blink, Spirit Guardians 4th - Phantasmal Killer, Poltergeist 5th - Mislead, Dominate Person Note: regardless of your alignment, Spirit Guardians does necrotic damage and the forms are spirits Haunted Starting at level 1, the link to the ghostly apparition who haunts you grants you a connection to the energy of death. You have resistance to necrotic damage and whenever you make an attack that causes necrotic damage, add your charisma bonus to that damage. In addition you know the Chill Touch and Haunting cantrips (unique to this patron - see link) and can cast them at will. They don’t count against your number of cantrips known. Ghostly Defense At level 6, you add the spell Fear to your spells-known list. This does not count towards your maximum spells known listed on the Warlock spellcasting table. Additionally, when you are hit by an attack, you can use your reaction to become temporarily incorporeal. While incorporeal, you have resistance to all forms of damage, save that from radiant or psychic sources and magical weapons. Furthermore, you can pass through objects and creatures as if they were difficult terrain. You do not trigger opportunity attacks while moving through solid objects, but otherwise, normal rules apply. You stay in this form until the end of your next turn, but the effect ends if you attack or cast a spell. If you fully materialize while any part of you is inside a solid object, you are immediately shunted to the nearest unoccupied space, falling prone in the process. You take force damage equal to twice the number of feet you are moved, with a minimum of one foot. You can use this ability again after a short or long rest. Otherworldly Presence Starting at level 10, you can use your action to step within the borders of the Ethereal Plane, as per the spell Etherealness (see PHB for details). This transition lasts until the beginning of your next turn, unless you use your action to extend the effect. You can do so a number of rounds equal to your CHA bonus, but for each round past the first, increase your fatigue level by one, until the point at which you die. Should you do this, your form will stay on the Ethereal Plane, and attempts to revive you will require travel there to access your remains. You may use this ability again after a long rest. Possession At level 14, you adopt one of your patron’s more powerful abilities: possession. Chose a humanoid target within 5’ to make a CHA save vs your spell DC or be possessed. If the target fails, you disappear completely, and the target is incapacitated. You now control the body, but the target is still aware. You cannot be targeted by any attack, spell, or other effect, and you retain your INT, WIS, CHA, and alignment. Otherwise, you use the possessed body’s statistics, though you do not have access to the target’s knowledge, class features, or proficiencies. The possession lasts until the end of your next turn unless you use your action to extend the effect. You can do so a number of rounds equal to your CHA bonus, but for each round past the first, you increase your fatigue level by one, until the point at which you die and the possession ends. The possession also ends if the target’s hit points drop to 0. Whether the end comes by choice or by death, you reappear within 5’ of the target. You may use this ability again after a long rest.